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from the if-at-first-you-don't-succeed-... dept.
NASA has been preparing for a wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis I rocket, but have hit several issues causing delays, the most recent being a faulty helium gas check valve. They have now announced that a modified wet dress rehearsal will start with a call to stations on April 12. This rehearsal proceeds through as an actual launch activity that scrubs at the T-10 second point. The modified test will focus on filling the core stage with cryogenic propellant, but with minimal propellant operations on the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). Following the test, the rocket will be returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building to replace the helium check valve as well as to assess the launch procedures.
NASA is streaming live video of the rocket and spacecraft on the Kennedy Newsroom YouTube channel.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 12 2022, @11:18PM
ah, thanks (trouble thru quotes even)! interesting!
i thought that the eventual fuel will be cryogenic sooo ... there's that.
not sure "only" pressure, as nitrogen, is a real actual complete test, considering the eventual, real pressure will be applied at a completely different temperature?
also, i thought, that the helium goes inside the top of the tank when the liquid inside is drained thru a running engine ... to keep the pressure up (and maybe *shrug* to get buoyancy and a "top" atmosphere in the tank that is rather cold so as to keep the liquid draining from tank from boiling inside the tank?).
i guess the question is simple: can it fly without helium? if not and the rocket is a one-way ticket then, well, it's wasted ... weeh.
note: a bottle of water doesn't drain very well if just unscrewed and inverted (the *glug*glug*glug* effect)?
note 2: sorry, there's rocket science and then there's moer REAL rocket science .. as in "oh, look the rocket came back in one piece"-rocket (now we can do) science :D